Light and Dark
by Montanasky4
Summary: Post Gathering Darkness.
1. Chapter 1: Limeros- Magnus

**Magnus**

They didn't stop until they were as far from the Temple of Valoria as possible, in case Princess Amara had stationed any of her guards in the area. Although they were dressed for the Limeros cold weather, the after effects of the disaster surrounding the temple created a cold front. Icicles cascaded from rooftops in deadly shards of ice for miles; they were careful to avoid being impaled. It also didn't help that the adrenaline from the fight had worn off and now Magnus felt all of the pain from his broken arm.

The merry band of three stopped to catch their breath. Magnus's gaze slid over his companions. Cleo still had her arms wrapped around Nic like he was a child that needed coddling. Magnus didn't like the sour taste that entered his mouth. Was it jealousy? How could it be? Magnus knew full well that Nic harbored romantic feelings for the Auranian princess but Cleo was adamant that he was like a younger brother to her. Still, the way she held him... Magnus found himself wanted to be held by her, for her to fret about him. The idea was ludicrous. He shook his head to rid himself of the thought.

Suddenly she approached him. "How's your arm?"

Magnus had it held to himself tightly. "It's broken, no doubt." At her touch, he let her take his arm into her gentle hands for inspection.

Despite the cold chill in the air, her hands were warm on him.

"We need to get you to a healer," said Cleo.

"Everyone knows my face, it'll be hard to find someone who doesn't or will hold their tongue when my father's men come to question them." He wouldn't be surprised if his father, the King of Blood, didn't already have men scouring the land looking for him.

"Where can we go?" Magnus looked back to Nic, whom he had momentarily forgotten was there.

"There's little we can do to hide with Cleo and myself so easily recognizable. If it hadn't been for you and your loose tongue, we could have gone to the temple and retrieved the crystal ourselves." He didn't even dare mention Lucia or what fate could have befallen her. He shut the door in his mind to such thoughts.

Nic's face was instantly red. "If it weren't for me, they Kraeshians would have killed you in that villa long before you made it to the temple."

"Is that so?" Magnus growled. "If I remember correctly, no one knew where we were headed and certainly no one other than you could have told them about the Kindred."

"It turns out that Princess Amara had a guard in her pocket that alerted her to your departure. If Ashur hadn't brought me along, she would have killed the two of you and taken the crystal."

"She's got the crystal, you idiot. The best thing you could have done was to not reveal yourself." Magnus cried out in pain suddenly and looked down to see Cleo squeezing his broken arm.

"That's enough, both of you! Or would you like to alert all of Mytica to our presence?"

Nic went quiet and turned away like a child that had just been scolded at by his mother.

Magnus looked down at Cleo, who had released his arm but remained next to him. They were quite a pair; he with his fair skin and raven hair and she with her sun-kissed skin and golden locks that reached her waist. Together or apart, they were two of the most recognizable people in the land.

Magnus couldn't help himself and reached out to touch one of her golden locks. The pain in his arm was dulling, allowing his mind to wander. He thought back to the kiss they shared in Lady Sophia's villa. He'd never wanted anything so much in that moment, not even Lucia. When his lips crashed together with Cleo's it was like a release; everything, all the tension that had been building between them culminated in that very moment. What had once been mutual hate turned into something quite the opposite. But he couldn't help but wonder how she truly felt about him. Magnus had come to terms about his sudden realization that he had fallen in love with her. Cleo on the other hand was so adamant about her undying hate for Magnus. How could it be possible that any of that could change. She'd said that they were even when she slit the throat of the guard to save his life. Magnus couldn't help but wonder if there was some underlying meaning in her words.

In that moment she turned to look up at him, realizing that he had twirled a lock of her hair around his finger. But when his gaze slid over her face, it wasn't hate that he saw.

He would kiss her again if he could; if that idiot redhead wasn't sitting only a few feet away. His gaze flicked to the boy and back.

He couldn't help himself after all. Without intending to, his hand moved from her hair to rest upon her cheek. Her skin was warm against his palm. "I thought I'd lost you when your head hit the stair." Magnus couldn't stop the words until they'd already left his mouth.

Cleo reached up and touched her head, wincing from the pain. Her hand slid down to rest over his hand.

A long silence stretched between them. They continued to stare at one another. Magnus felt his body shift to lean closer to hers. And then there was the intrusive sound of someone coughing. Cleo pulled away and Magnus turned to see Nic glowering at him.

"We really should be going," Cleo said without looking at him.

Magnus nodded to himself. "Yes. If we can make it, we can find a healer in Paelsia. That's our best bet to travel unseen but we can't continue to travel on foot." He fingered the purse of gold at his waist. "I know just the redhead to buy us some horses."


	2. Chapter 2: Limeros- Nic

**Nic**

"Do you need to stop?" Nic asked Cleo. Since the temple she had worried about him, ignoring her own needs.

"I'm fine, Nic. We need to keep moving."

Nic knew that she couldn't possibly be making an easy time of it in those shoes she's wearing. Part of him blamed Magnus for not making sure she was more prepared for the frigid weather.

"Cleo, your cheeks are red. Will you at least take my cloak?"

"I said, I'm fine," she snapped.

Nic stopped in his tracks. Cleo had never raised her voice to him before. It could only mean that she was truly distressed. He had no clue how to help her, resigning to remain silent after that.

"What's the hold up, maggot? I'm not beyond leaving you to freeze your arse off." Magnus called from up ahead.

Cleo stopped next to Magnus and his eyes landed on her as if seeing her for the first time. It was quick—only and instant—but Nic saw it. He saw the way the prince's face softened, as if seeing her was enough to temper the storm that was Magnus Damora.

Magnus looked away, his gaze resting on his injured forearm that he held to himself.

Nic watched it unfold before his eyes. Cleo's attention turned to Magnus as she noticed him looking at his arm. She gently rested her hand on his arm, away from the injured part. She whispered something to him but Nic was too far away to hear it. Magnus shrugged and then winced. It was true that Cleo spent the hours since leaving the Temple of Valoria fretting over him, but she had also showed great concern for Magnus.

Nic watched the look the two royals exchanged. He'd questioned her once, what seemed like ages ago, if she had fallen in love with him yet. He only meant to tease her, but now he couldn't help but wonder if he asked her the same question, would she still respond the same.

Magnus and Cleo continued forward whilst Nic was frozen in place.

The cold nipped at Nic's face, causing him to be ever the more irritated. He decided that to keep moving would be the only way to get his mind off of Cleo. After all, he was still numb from Ashur's death.

Nic couldn't help but remember something that Magnus had said earlier, about how they might still be in possession of the crystal if he hadn't shown himself. There was weight to what the Prince of Blood had said. However what stung him more was a thought of his own. Would Ashur still be alive if he hadn't come forth? It weighed heavily on him—to be responsible for the Kraeshian prince's death. True, he might not have been the one to land the killing blow, but Amara might now have felt to betrayed by her brother if there hadn't been an audience. He couldn't change what happened, he knew that, but now he had to live with it for the rest of his life, for how much longer, he had no idea.

He looked ahead to see that Cleo and Magnus had stopped.

"What is it?" he asked when he caught up.

Neither of them turned around.

It was Magnus who spoke. "It seems my father has posted guards along the border. He must know where we are."

Nic saw men in red armor with red cloaks lining the boarder. "Well it doesn't look like we'll be crossing into Paelsia anytime soon. What about the coast? Can we barter a trip on a ship?"

"If my father has men stationed here, then there's no doubt that he's already got the ports covered."

"What do we do now?" asked Cleo.

"We have no choice. We have to cross."


	3. Chapter 3: Limeros- Cloe

**Cleo**

He was crazy, positively crazy.

When she finally thought that she had Magnus figured out, he'd go and surprise her again.

Cleo saw the crazed look in his eyes when he proclaimed that they had to cross regardless of his father's men blocking their way. She didn't think he'd was actually serious until he unsheathed his sword and started running towards the men like a mad man, screaming about.

Nic followed suit, still clad in his own armor but brandishing Ashur's sword. Magnus had returned the dagger to her that Cleo had used to slit the throat of that man that would have claimed his life. Short of killing that unsuspecting man, she had little to no experience in battle.

Watching Magnus engage the soldiers at that moment, she almost forgot that his non-dominant arm hang useless at his side. He was fierce, attacking his father's men head on. And so was Nic, the most unlikely duo she could imagine.

One of the men slipped past her companions. Cleo was immediately alert, ignoring the pain in her head from the spot her skull contacted the temple floor. She dodged the swing of the man's sword. She wasn't aware she'd cried out but something had alerted Magnus because he yelled for Nic to fall back to protect her. He was fast, coming up behind the soldier. For a skinny boy, Nic was surprisingly skilled in wielding a sword. All the years that he had stood squire for her father she had never one seen him train, however she suspected that he must have had even rudimentary training to become a member of King Gaius's army.

Nic managed to swipe the soldier along the his back, sending him forward. Cleo jumped back to avoid him.

"Are you alright?" asked Nic.

Cleo nodded. "Go help Magnus."

Nic nodded and took off in Magnus's direction.

She eyed the fallen man in front of her, unsure if he was dead or alive. He wasn't moving, best she could tell. His sword had fallen only inches away from his outstretched hand. Cleo wondered if she should go for it, noting the considerable difference in size between the sword and her dagger. She'd taken two steps when someone grabbed her hair and pulled her back.

"You should learn to watch your back, Auranian bitch!"

Cleo's head stung even more. She was outraged. "And you should learn to treat me with respect." She swung around, no doubt causing some of her lushes hair to be pulled from her scalp, and in bringing her dagger around, she swiped along his face. The soldier screamed in pain, blood pouring from the slash in his face. He'd closed his eye at the last second but from where Cleo stood, she could tell he'd likely never see from one of his eyes again, at least if he lived that long. The soldier released her hair to hold his face. She took the moment of reprieve to search for Magnus and Nic.

She spotted Nic quickly enough with his flame colored hair. It would stand out anywhere. Magnus wasn't too far away, in deep contrast with his black hair. The two young men were making easy work of the king's soldiers. Magnus was more of a warrior than she had previously believed him to be when he cowardly ran Theon through from behind with his sword. She had seen a taste of his skill in the Temple of Valoria but now saw him truly in action despite his injuries. He and Nic did not land many killing blows, aiming to disarm for the most part.

Cleo heard movement beside her as the first soldier started to shift. At that moment she heard Magnus call out her name and tell her to run. She didn't hesitate, forgetting the soldier's sword on the ground. Focusing on the ground beneath her, she raced forward, dodging any soldier that stood between her and the Paelsian boarder.

Magnus was within reach and he cut down one final soldier as she passed him.

"Don't stop running, no matter what," he told her between breaths.

She dared to turn and look for Nic but the scenery was a blur all around her.

Suddenly she felt a hand at her back. Knowing that Magnus still held his sword, there was no way it could be him. She turned enough to see familiar red hair wiping behind her and relief washed over her. The trio continued into the lands of Paelsia with the king's men in hot pursuit.

Paelsia was not a frozen wasteland like Limeros but it was a wasteland when compared to Auranos, leaving less room for the cover of lush trees. For the most part Paelsia was a plateau, the only mountains located along the king's new road, and they would do best to stay away from anymore of the king's men. Thus they continued forward until their legs threatened to give out and they no longer heard men following them. But they didn't stop, resigning only to a brisk walk, searching for cover. It was many miles until they encountered anything resembling a forest in Paelsia.

"We shouldn't stop," growled Magnus. "My father's men are nothing if not resilient."

"Your father's men may be, but we're not. We need rest."

Magnus wanted to fight her on this, she saw it in his eye but there was also pain in his hooded look. She knew that he needed rest above all, whether he wanted to admit it or not.

Nic huffed and puffed at her side, regaining his breath. She regarded both of them, fatigued and covered in blood. Nic donned a new gash on his arm and Magnus was covered in so much blood that she couldn't discern his blood from the soldiers'.

With the weather being warmer in Paelsia she soon realized that her heavy cloak was stifling. "We need to get you out of your clothes," she told Magnus.

The prince regarded her. "If you wanted to see me naked, princess, all you had to do was ask nicely."

"Your clothes are in tatters and you're covered in so much blood I can't tell if any of it is yours." The prince was silent. "Nic, help me remove his tunic."

Nic did as she requested, aiding her in removing Magnus's cloak and tunic. She thought of tearing his cloak to make a sling but the material was thick and meant for colder climate; it would be impractical in use. She began tearing strips from her own dress.

"What are you doing?" demanded Magnus in that annoying manner in which he spoke that always seemed to get under her skin.

"Making you a sling for your arm. What else would I be doing?"

"What makes you think you're qualified?"

"I'm all that you have at the moment."

He must have realized that she was right because he went silent again, leaning on a boulder for support. The fight had gone from him.

Cleo took the material from her dress and fashioned him said sling, careful of his arm to not cause him further pain.

"I'll check for water," said Nic so suddenly. Cleo nodded. She wanted to warn him not to stray too far but thought better of it. Silently she watched Nic disappear into the trees.

They were alone.

With Magnus's sling in place, she stepped back.

"That was the most reckless thing I've ever seen." He looked up at her, his expression hooded. "It was rash! Positively stupid."

"Are you done?"

"Of course I'm not done. You couldn't have gotten us all killed."

"I didn't. We're all here, in fact."

"That's besides the point."

"Is it really?"

Cleo sighed in frustration. She closed her eyes. There was no use fighting with him, not when they each escaped death so many times over she was beginning to lose count.

"We need to find shelter and someone to properly tend to your wounds."

"Our wounds."

"What?"

His chin jutted out towards her head. "Do you think I'd forgotten how hard you hit the stairs."

Cleo absently touched the sore spot of her head; her fingers came away with dry blood.

"You know what I meant," she finally said. "Besides, we could each use a bath, but you most of all."

"They don't call me the 'Prince of Blood' for nothing."

"Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Pretend that you're just like you father. We had this conversation in Lady Sophia's villa, or have you forgotten?"

"I haven't forgotten a single thing we discussed."

Cleo's face suddenly felt hot, remembering the kiss they shared after such heated words. She wondered how she'd been able to think of anything else since then. Before she knew what she was doing, her fingers went up to touch her lips.

"I've wanted to kiss you a thousand times over since," added Magnus.

Her eyes met his as he pushed off the boulder. In an instant his face was a hairs breadth away from hers. His good hand came to rest ever so gently against her face.

"Magnus," she said, almost pleadingly.

"Cleo." She closed her eyes and let it happen. His lips pressed against hers more gently than she would have thought him capable. This kiss was much different from the one they shared at Lady Sophia's villa. That kiss had been full of passion from bent up emotions. This kiss was like a sigh, as if everything was finally coming into place.

His hand moved to tangle in her golden hair. Cleo's own arms had wound their way around his neck, pulling herself to him. He pressed himself to her with equal demand, his teeth nipping at her bottom lip.

She cried out, pulling away from him just before clutching her head.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

But then the world was shifting beneath her and everything went black.


	4. Chapter 4: Paelsia- Magnus

**Magnus**

Magnus fought the urge to call out for Nic.

Moments ago Cleo was fiery, arguing with him over his recklessness and then compliant when he kissed her. Now she was silent, peacefully sleeping in his arms, or so he hoped.

He'd managed to catch her before she hit the ground, his broken arm causing him to groan from the pain. She was limp in his arms. Magnus carefully eased her to the ground. He suspected that she'd lost consciousness due to her head wound and that caused him to worry. Magnus had never been one to pay attention to the afflictions of those around him, but even he was aware of the dangers of head trauma. Cleo needed a healer and fast.

Magnus heard movement from the surrounding foliage, causing him to reach for his sword. He'd unsheathed the weapon just before Nic erupted from between the bushes.

The prince let out a sigh of relief.

"Cleo!" breathed Nic. "What have you done to her?"

He sheathed his sword. "I haven't done a princess needs a healer."

"Then let's get her to one."

"Only problem is we're in this gods forsaken country with no aid and on the run from my father's men."

Nic looked around. "Cleo and I spent time here in Paelsia, going from village to village. There was a woman, she took us in during a rain storm. She might help us."

"Would you be able to find her again?"

"I hope so."

Nic audibly gulped.

"Now's not the time to lose your wits, boy."

"Don't call me that!"

Magnus reached out and grabbed him by the shirt of his uniform. "If you care for her at all you'll pull yourself together."

Nic blinked several times and then nodded. Magnus released him.

Magnus watched the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. She was safe in Eirene's house, the woman Nic had spoke of.

When Cleo had proven too much to carry, even for her slight weight, Magnus finally got around to using Nic to purchase a pair of horses. Nic rode by himself whilst Magnus rode with Cleo in front of him. It was one of the hardest things he ever recalled having done, riding with one good arm with Cleo unconscious.

Cleo remained unconscious the duration of the trip and two days had passed since arriving at Eirene's dwelling. Magnus hadn't known what to make of the woman who seemed so eager to help, but Magnus was distrustful by nature and assumed the worst. He had been desperate to see Cleo well, thus agreed to let the woman help Cleo from atop his horse and onto the cot she would remain whilst the Paelsian woman treated her. She told both of the boys that Cleo was likely suffering from a concussion. Nic paled, if it was even possible for him to look paler, he did. Magnus demanded to know if Cleo would be alright and Eirene gave him no such guarantee. He stormed from the house and took up pacing back and forth.

He returned to Cleo's beside only when Nic and Eirene were busy elsewhere in the house. After all, he barely liked to feel vulnerable to Cleo, he couldn't have Nic nor Eirene watching him fret about Cleo's condition.

Yet there he was, sitting in a chair next to the cot upon which she slept. Eirene had sought to the wound on her head, even going so far as to force Cleo's sleeping form to take some sort of tonic she herself had concocted.

Magnus watched as her eyes shifted beneath her eyelids. He hoped her dreams were pleasant ones; he was tired of staring in her nightmares. He even wondered as much if she dared to dream of him in good light. Was he worth it if she did?

He looked around the room, trying to listen for any movement in the house. When nothing had alerted him to anyone else being present in the house he reached for her hand, taking it in his own. Eirene had confirmed his arm broken and proclaimed that Cleo had done a good job with the sling. After tending to Cleo, she splinted his arm which remained against his chest in Cleo's sling.

Cleo squeezed his hand and Magnus started.

"Papa," she murmured.

His heart sunk in his chest. It was heavy with guilt, guilt from his ties to the man that had overthrown Cleo's country, had taken her father from the world and continued to withhold her throne. She'd been forced to marry Magnus because of his father. He'd put up with it at the time, knowing that to go against his father would only cause them both harm. He could never have guessed that being forced further into her life would cause him so care for her so greatly. If Cleo never woke up he wasn't sure he could look at the world the same. His world had been nothing but am abyss of darkness. But Cleo had collided into his world like a fiery ball of light. It would devastate him to see her light extinguished. His light, as he now thought of her.

"Wake up," he pleaded.

He was greeted with her silence.

Magnus brought his lips to her forehead and kissed her.


	5. Chapter 5: Paelsia- Nic

**Nic**

Nic watched through the little open crack in the doorway. Months ago he would have been outraged to see Prince Magnus sitting at Cleo's bedside. The last few nights had however, shown him a different side of the prince, a side that cared for Cleo's well being.

At first Nic had thought that it was only circumstance that had brought them together, previously having thought that Magnus was concerned solely with his own survival, yet they were in Eirene's home once again. They had managed to escape the clutches of King Gaius's soldier and made it to safety, a place in which they were able to receive the necessary medical attention.

He had worried for Cleo; the loss of his sister all too recent. He couldn't stand it if he'd lost Cleo too.

And then there was Ashur. Nic had to let him go. He had to remind himself that it was nothing more than a single kiss and a few niceties that drew them together. Ashur was dead before he could sort his own feeling out.

Nic focused on the prince's lips on Cleo's forehead as he kissed her.

He was surprised by the absence of jealousy. Months ago, if any man so much as looked at Princess Cleiona sideways, Nic had been suddenly overcome with jealous rage, enough so that he had to remove himself far from her presence. Nic had never taken out his jealousy on Cleo, he could never do that. However her flirtatious attitude often caused him great pain.

Nic had been jealous of Theon too, that was until Theon died protecting Cleo. Nic could not be jealous of a man who gave his own life for Cleo's as he himself would do. When Cleo's sister had fallen gravely ill, Nic vowed to not let his feelings for Cleo get in the way of their friendship, that he would be there for her whenever she needed him. And then the king died and the castle was overcome. Nic knew that he had to find a way to remain close to Cleo and he thanked the gods he never believed in when he was given a position in King Gaius's castle guard.

However, when the king announced Princess Cleiona's engagement to Prince Magnus, Nic was enraged. He wasn't even sure why the idea of Cleo marrying the Limerian prince irked him so; only that the thought that any spawn of King Gaius was just as bad as the king himself. He considered Magnus even worse than Aron Lagaris. And Aron terrified him.

Somehow that had changed, but when? Nic saw it in the subtle ways Magnus shielded Cleo from Princess Amara's men with his own body, calling out her name in worry when she hit the stairs. The prince had fallen in love with Cleo, Nic had no doubt. The only thing he was unsure of was Cleo's feelings on the matter as she was as unpredictable as the wind.

And there Nic stood watching the spawn of the evil king kissing the brow of the slumbering princess. How could he have thought him not better than his father? Nic shook his head and took a step back from the door, withdrawing from the house. Cleo was safe, for now, and as long as it appeared that Magnus cared for Cleo's safety, Nic could never stand in the way.


	6. Chapter 6: Paelsia- Cleo

**Cleo**

Cleo blinked several times. Her vision was cloudy and her head hurt.

When her vision cleared she could finally register the straw roof above her. They found shelter, she realized. _Magnus! Nic!_

Cleo forced herself to sit up, wincing from the head rush. The room was spinning. She held her cool hand to her forehead until the room stilled once more.

 _Where am I?_ she wondered. She searched into the recesses of her mind to recall what happened before she lost consciousness. Magnus, she was kissing Magnus. She thought back before that. They were in Paelsia. They'd made it across the boarder after coming face-to-face with some of King Gauis's soldiers. And before that they were in the Temple of Valoria. She recalled the battle, Ashur's death and his sister's escape. Her head hurt. She reached up to touch it and felt the sore flesh.

When her hand dropped back to her side it landed on something warm. Cleo immediately looked down to see a mop of raven hair. It was Magnus. She watched the rise and fall of his back and he lay draped over the side of the cot she occupied. He was asleep.

She couldn't contain herself and gently her fingers stroked his hair. Magnus's body went rigid. She heard his hiss of breath and he abruptly sat up.

When he registered that it was she who woke him, his eyes softened. He uttered her name like a sigh and then crushed himself to her. She took in his scent, her face pressed against his neck. He smelled of the woods and winter, even in Paelsia.

When Magnus pulled away she was left bereft.

"You're okay," he said.

"So are you," she breathed. Cleo looked down to Magnus's injured arm to see it splinted.

"You had everybody worried."

"Everybody? Where are we?"

"Eirene's house."

"Eirene!"

Cleo looked around the room, searching for the woman.

"She's out with Nic gathering some provisions. She's not used to supporting the extra mouths."

Tears sprang to Cleo's eyes.

Magnus's arms wrapped around her. "Hush, don't cry."

"How can you be so...so comforting?"

Magnus stiffened at Cleo's words. This was so unlike him. What was she doing to him, he wondered.

Reluctantly, he pulled away. "Cleo..." his voice said in warning.

She placed her hand over his. "Why do you fight it?"

Magnus turned away, feigning to look out the window.

She wanted to reach out and turn his face to hers so that he would look at her but she didn't. She'd only known him a short amount of time. However, Cleo did know that when Magnus was backed into a corner, he was like a feral dog. She didn't want to push him too hard in fear that he would lash out.

As she inspected his profile, she saw none of the rage she had expected.

Suddenly her body acted of its own accord and she leaned into him. He turned, sensing as she shifted on the cot and was caught by surprise as she pressed her lips to his.

Magnus's very being relaxed, melting into the kiss. It was as if kissing Cleo was the only way to pull him from his darkest thoughts. He could go on kissing her forever.

Cleo's lips parted and Magnus took the invitation, his tongue entering her mouth. He tasted just as he smelled, of crisp winter. How could someone of such contrast to everything Cleo knew she loved feel so right?

She abandoned such thoughts in favor of trailing kisses down Magnus's jaw and throat.

Magnus released a throaty growl. His hands bunched in her hair as he inhaled her floral scent.

Cleo's own hands were moving fast, over his shoulders and down his chest to his stomach. His stomach clenched at the contact.

Magnus's hand abandoned her hair to tug at her chin. He looked into her eyes, pupils dilated. He wondered how she saw him. Pushing the thought away, he possessed her mouth.

His hands were all over her, sensitizing her skin. And his mouth—his mouth was, she couldn't even formulate the words. He nipped at her throat then sucked on her flesh, nearly distracting her from the fact that his hands were tugging at the top of her nightdress, to gain better access to her breasts. His mouth, and a glorious mouth it was, continued to trail from her throat to her chest.

His desire was peaked. It had been some time since he had engaged in any sexual endeavors. Though he knew that Cleo had been deflowered, there was something so innocent about her that he couldn't bear to taint with his darkness.

And then he pulled away and Cleo nearly fell from the cot.

Magnus stood with a start, turning his back to her.

Cleo took in a sharp breath; at the sound Magnus turned around.

"Don't look at me like that," he said.

"Like what?" Cleo asked.

Magnus ran his fingers through his hair. "Like you are now. Like you want me as much as I want you."

"Maybe I do."

Magnus shook his head. "You can't possibly want me, Cleo."

"And what makes you think that you know what I want?" she asked, exasperated.

"Because I don't deserve you."

Cleo closed her eyes and shook her head, slowly. She stood up, suddenly, ignoring the rush of feeling lightheaded. She nearly brought her hand to the sore spot, but thought better of it. Bringing attention to her wound would only give Magnus more of a reason not to touch her.

She was at his side in an instant, reaching up to cup his face in her smaller hands. Magnus closed his eyes, leaning into the touch. In spite of himself, his hands slid up to rest over hers, holding her to him.

"You are an enigma," she said.

"Story of my life."

"A life that belongs to you. Make it what you want it to be, not what others expect."

"How can you say such thing after what I've just said and did, after everything I've done."

Cleo had to fight the tears that threatened to break through. "We're here now. You and me."

"You and me?" Magnus asked.

 _Father, forgive me_. "Until either of us decides that this isn't what they want."

Magnus nodded.


End file.
